Leaders' meeting on the Western Balkans Migration Route: common press conference by Jean-Claude Juncker, Angela Merkel, and Antonio Guterres

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On 26 October 2015, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EC, invited the Heads of State or Government of Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. Jean-Claude Juncker, Angela Merkel, German Federal Chancellor, António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, gave a press conference in Brussels, following the meeting. They agreed on a 17-point action plan to improve cooperation on border management and step up the provision of humanitarian support to asylum seekers along the Western Balkan Route. The action plan includes measures that will be operational as of today, including the establishment of contact points to ensure a permanent exchange of information, providing shelter to refugees, managing migration flows together, and increased efforts to manage borders. Leaders agreed to improve communication of information on the rights and obligations of refugees and migrants and to monitor their agreed commitments under the action plan on a weekly basis. SHOTLIST